After two straight wins, Shurmur still unsure of future with Cleveland

With two straight wins, the Browns are showing major signs of improvement in their second season under Shurmur, whose future in Cleveland could hinge on how his team plays in its final four games — if it hasn’t been determined already.

On Sunday, the Browns (4-8) snapped a 12-game road losing streak with a 20-17 win over Oakland, putting the Raiders away with a clutch, 94-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, when Shurmur made a gutsy fourth-down call.

The Browns have gotten better and so has Shurmur. He has been harshly criticized by some Cleveland fans for his game management and play calling, and there’s a chance he won’t be around for a third year once new owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner finish their postseason assessment.

Shurmur won’t predict what’s ahead.

“I don’t want to talk about my future, OK?” he said. “I’m trying to make this the best Monday of the year, and I’m trying to get our team ready to play the Chiefs and then after that and so on and so forth. I don’t look at it that way. I’m not taking any half-swings here. We’ll just play it out and see what happens.”

There’s no denying that the Browns, with 17 rookies on their roster, are growing up.

They’ve been competitive since Week 1, but in back-to-back wins over Pittsburgh and Oakland, they’ve finally shown the ability to finish games. It’s an important step in the development for any team, even more so for one starting a rookie quarterback, running back, wide receiver, right tackle — and with a coach under fire.

Shurmur acknowledges his team’s evolution, but he knows the Browns are far from a finished product.

“I feel good about where we’re going, we’ve just got to keep going,” Shurmur said. “It’s easy to let that momentum stop. That’s what I’m guarding against, and I think our locker room understands that it’s important you jump right back in the process.

“You’ll get tired of hearing me say that. As long as I’m here, you’ll get tired of hearing me say, ‘jump back in the process.’ Because I think that’s most important. Initially for the season it’s 16 processes and how well you get that right. Because that gives you the best opportunity to be successful on Sunday. And that’s where we all want to be, at our best.”

Shurmur may be down to his last four Sundays, but he’s committed to making the most of them.